


Thin Air

by wondrawall



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Death, M/M, One Shot, Sad, larry stylinson - Freeform, one direction - Freeform, so just be mindful, this could be triggering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 18:57:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2822624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wondrawall/pseuds/wondrawall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry loves whole heartedly, and he can't be shaken from this nightmare.</p>
<p>(Or the one where Harry is blinded by love and can't face reality and Louis is never there.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thin Air

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooo, so this is a super old one shot i wrote like 1-2 years ago and idk I thought I might as well post it so dont hate me too much. I feel like I could've made this into an actual story but one shots are cool too so enjoy x

“Harry, are you coming out with the boys tonight?” Niall asked as he grabbed his coat off the couch and shrugged it on.

Harry just shook his head with a small smile on his face. "Nah, already got plans, mate!”

Niall’s smile wavered just a bit, but he nodded anyway. "Yeah, okay, be safe!” He threw in a wink for good measure.

Harry just rolled his eyes and chuckled, “Same to you mate, don’t get too drunk.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, mum.”

****

“Lou?”

“Mmmm?”

“Where do you go?”

“What do you mean, love?”

“Like, you just disappear, and then show up again. Where do you go to?” Harry rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his hand.

Harry and Louis were currently on the roof of the apartment complex that Louis was sort of forced to live in. It was a bit shit, yeah, but that didn’t mean it felt any less than a home. It was cheap too, so that was always a plus.

The roof was just a quiet place where they could be isolated for a little while, only the sounds of honking horns from the busy streets below to remind them where they were.

Louis continued to stare up into the night sky as he shrugged.

And that was that.

That was how it usually went.

Harry would try to learn a little bit more about Louis even though his questions were constantly shrugged off and the conversation usually changed so Harry had to talk about himself.

That was just how it worked, and both of them were comfortable with it, really. Louis didn’t want to share and Harry wasn’t the pushy type. That’s why they worked.

 

****

“Haz?”

Harry sighed and looked up from his phone. “What, Li?”

“Where’d ya go last night? Niall said you made plans…” Liam gave him this look. All the boys always gave him the look. He didn’t know what it meant, but he knew it was constantly there. Anytime Harry backed out of plans or said he was busy, they always, always gave him that look. They have been, for the past few months.

It was stupid, honestly.

“No where.”

*****

“Have you ever thought about what would happen if you just sorta…fell? Like, what if one day you were just walking along the edge and you slipped? What d’ya think would happen?” Louis wondered aloud one night when they were on the roof again.

“I’m pretty sure you would just fall and die, Lou. Why?” Harry sat up.

Louis shrugged, “No reason, just trying to sound philosophical or some shit. You know.” He grinned.

Louis walked back over to where Harry was sat, and plopped down beside him, lacing his fingers through Harry’s as he did.

They settled into a comfortable silence, both of them just gazing up at the stars, both content with just the fact the other was there.

“Can you promise me something?” Louis suddenly asked.

Harry turned to face him. “'Course.” 

“When I ‘disappear’, like you said, can you just promise to not...miss me? Just, do shit to take your mind off of me or whatever,” Louis furrowed his eyebrows together as he spoke, as if he still wasn’t quite sure of his own words.

Harry frowned, “Why shouldn’t I miss you?”

Louis didn’t bother to answer, just leaned up slightly, and pressed his lips against Harry’s. This kiss was different though. Harry couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but quite frankly he couldn’t think very clearly since Louis was kissing him. So Harry just leaned down and fitted their lips together like they were made to.

And that was that.

******

“You’re a shit mate, y’know?” Niall frowned when Harry tried to sneak back into their shared flat at a quarter till four in the morning.

Harry winced at his words as he shut the door behind him. “Sorry?” He tried.

Niall in turn just rolled his eyes and scoffed, “You’ve blown me and the boys off for the past few months, you can’t just ditch us completely.”

“’m not trying to!”

“You still are though. You can’t keep hanging out with…with him,” Niall knew he shouldn’t have said it. He knew it was going too far, but it was true.

Harry’s gaze darkened, “What do you mean him? You know his name, Niall! I don’t understand what happened with you guys and him. We all got a long wonderfully and just one day he stopped hanging around us and all of you stopped even mentioning his name. Now he keeps disappearing and…and leaving me!” Harry could feel his eyes starting to prickle and took in a shaky breath.

Niall sighed and uncrossed his arms, closing the short distance between them both and wrapped his arms around Harry. He should be mad right now. Hell, he could even be furious, but Harry needed him.

“’m sorry okay? I just don’t want him to go and when I’m with him, I know he won’t leave. He can’t. I just really, really love him.” Harry rested his head on the blonde’s head and returned the hug, closing his eyes to hold back the few tears that threatened to fall.

Niall just sighed, defeated, and hugged him tighter, “Yeah, yeah I know.”

*****

They were both lying in silence once more. The sky was dull tonight, too much smog in the air to see the stars, really. Everything was muted. There were barely any cars out, there were no random noises in the night that came with living in the city, and the clouds that hung low in the sky darkened the usual bright glow of the moon.

Harry wasn’t stupid. He could feel the tension. He knew something was wrong, he just knew, but he kept quiet.

He wasn’t pushy.

Maybe he should be, though. Maybe he would be able to find out things that Louis hadn’t even told the closest of his loved ones. Maybe he would find the things that Louis hid away under lock and key in the darkest parts of his mind.

Just maybe.

“Haz?”

Harry sucked in a breath, “Yeah?”

“Remember that promise?”

Harry nodded, “What about it?”

“You really do promise, right? No backing out? Even pinky swear?” Louis shoved his pinky in front of Harry’s wide eyes, giving him a pleading look as he did so.

Harry looked over at him. Louis had to have some sort of reason behind this, right?

Right.

So Harry, being head over heels for the boy, thinking that Louis would never do anything to hurt him (intentionally anyway), lifted up his hand and hooked his pinky around Louis’ smaller one, sealing this promise.

He guessed it was worth it really because Louis’ face lit up and he pulled Harry on top of him and that was all Harry needed. The light that would fill Louis’ eyes could warm anyone’s heart and Harry didn’t have it in him to fight it, not tonight.

******

“You’re ditching again. You’re seriously bailing again? You said you would go!” Niall huffed and frowned.

“Yeah, well.”

“No Harry, not ‘yeah well’, you can’t keep doing this! You’re our best friend, we know when something’s wrong and you can’t keep pushing us away!” Liam growled at him.

“Nothing’s wrong! I don’t even know what you guys are going on about. Now if you excuse me, ‘m sorta runnin’ late so-“

Liam caught Harry’s arm before he could push his way past him, and yanked him back.

“Let go! ‘M late!” Harry tugged his arm out of Liam’s grasp but his pathway was promptly cut off by him once more.

“Liam, just let him go,” Zayn whispered tiredly.

“Harry, I’m sick of seeing you like this! We know what’s wrong, so why can’t you just talk to us about it instead of making up your stupid fantasies?”

“What do you mean, ‘fantasy’? What are you on about?!” Harry’s eyebrows furrowed as his frown deepened.

“I mean that you need to stop this Louis crap!” Liam yelled.

“Liam! Stop-”

“No, Z, I’m sick of this! I know you are, too. Harry, I can't see you like this! You’re hurting and you won’t talk to any of us about anything and it’s scaring all of us! We’re losing you.” Liam’s voice cracked at the end and his gaze softened as he looked at Harry.

“I’m not hurting!” Harry spat, “I don’t know what this is about but-“

“Louis isn’t fucking real, Harry! You have to know that! Please…please tell me you know that. Please tell me you know this is in your head!” Liam cried

The room fell silent.

Harry’s eyes widened.

“Liam, you can’t-“

“He needs to know! I’m done with pretending! I’m done with acting like this is alright! It’s not fucking okay, and I’m done with it! Harry, Louis is not real, he’s gone!”

“He’s coming back!” Harry screamed, “H-he has to be coming back then! H-he just d-disappeared again! He a-always comes back, f-for m-me,” Harry’s bottom lip started to tremble as his eyes began to water.

He hastily swiped away a lone tear as he searched the boys’ faces for answers.

Niall hesitated before stepping forward. “Harry, Louis has been gone. For six months now.”

“No,” Harry whispered. “No! Stop lying! I saw him last night! I-I swear I did! ‘M not lying! I-I s-saw him with my own eyes! H-he’s waiting for me at t-the roof!” Harry tripped over his own words as his vision began to blur more with the fresh tears.

“Harry please, he’s gone…f-forever. Please tell me you know that, you were there,” Liam whispered.

“W-what do you mean?” His eyes widened even more as more tears rolled down his cheeks.

“He jumped off that roof, Harry. He’s been gone for six months. You were there,” Zayn said softly.

“No! Stop! No! Stop lying! He’s waiting for me! Let me go! Louis is on that roof right now waiting for me and I-I c-can’t be late!” Harry shoved passed the boys who were yelling his name and running after him.

The complex was nearby and Harry could definitely run there; he’s done it before.

Harry sprinted down the street, ignoring the looks that he got from the few people that were out this late. Harry continued to wipe his eyes as he ran, panting. He could hear the distant calls from the boys, but he immediately tuned it out.

All he heard in his head and all his heart was beating was LouisLouisLouisLouis in a steady beat.

The only things steady, really.

As soon as he skidded around the last corner, he saw the familiar old, dilapidated building that he loved to death.

The calls from the boys were getting louder now, so Harry sprinted around to the back of the building where the fire escape was that he always took.

LouisLouisLouisLouis

He hastily climbed up the rusted, metal staircase, before swinging himself over the edge, just barely landing on his feet doing so.

He looked up, frantically searching for Louis.

He had to be here, he just had to. Louis wouldn’t leave him like that again, he wouldn’t, right?

“Louis!” Harry called, cupping his hands around his mouth, still looking around the area.

He jogged over to their usual spot and froze in his tracks.

Louis was standing on the edge of the building.

“L-Louis? Louis! Get down from there, what are you d-doing?” Harry shouted.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe, his heart was in his throat and he could hear it beating in his head.

LouisLouisLouisLouis

Louis turned around from the edge to face Harry, a grim smile on his face. “Just remember the promise, yeah?”

“Wha-Louis!”

He disappeared over the edge.

“Louis!” Harry screamed sprinting to the edge. “How fucking dare you! Louis! L-Louis, this better be a fucking joke! Louis!” Harry frantically searched the ground, seven stories down.

“Harry, get away from there!” He heard someone yell.

Harry lent over the edge, still searching and shouting and screaming and crying and he just sort of

Slipped.

 

And that was that.


End file.
